Brevard North Carolina is a nature lover’s paradise filled with places to enjoy the outdoors. Escape to pristine national forests where you can enjoy fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and a variety of other activities. Game birds, deer, bear and other wildlife flourish in these wilderness regions and are often seen living in harmony in their natural habitats. Read on to learn more about wonderful ways to spend a free day in Brevard. When you live in this gorgeous Western North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountain region you can enjoy a great mountain lifestyle every day that most only get to experience while on vacation.
The Pisgah National Forest
The Pisgah National Forest North Carolina covers more than 510,119 acres of mountainous terrain through the Blue Ridge Mountains, Great Balsam Mountains, and the French Broad River valley. The cities of Asheville and Brevard NC are surrounded by large tracts of this extraordinary designated forest wilderness and are excellent spots to enjoy a host of outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, hunting, rock climbing, and fishing. The forest is divided into 4 distinct ranger districts: Grandfather, Toecane, French Broad, and the Pisgah, which is the ranger district that surrounds these cities. Encompassing special picnic and lookout areas like the Sycamore Flats Area, Looking Glass Rock Area, the Pisgah Forest Pink Beds, and the Lake Powhaten Recreational Area, the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard NC is a 157,000 acre nature lover’s paradise. Residents and visitors in Brevard enjoy the area’s breathtaking views from elevations upwards of 4,000 feet and the seasonal climate. Most like to enjoy the outdoors in the Pisgah National Forest through the main visiting season which typically runs from Memorial Day weekend through the change of the leaves in November. Not only is the Pisgah Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest North Carolina in Brevard a popular place to enjoy the outdoors, it also is managed for conservation, wise use, and protection of its natural resources. Watersheds in the Pisgah National Forest in Brevard NC not only feed the region’s NC Waterfalls but also provide water for towns like Rosman, Brevard NC, and Hendersonville North Carolina. Visit these and other areas in the Pisgah National Forest’s Pisgah District near Brevard. The headquarters of the Pisgah District is located off of US 276 just outside of the town. Visitors center hours are 8am to 5pm during the weekdays and 9am to 5pm on the weekends and holidays.
Sycamore Flats Area
Off of US 276 near the entrance to the community of the Pisgah Forest, this area has notable features such as the Sycamore Flats and Coon Tree picnic areas, the ranger station and visitors center, the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway, Davidson River Campground, the English Chapel, and White Pine Group Camp.
Looking Glass Rock Area
This area is found inside the loop of US 276 and Forest Road 475, and includes the dome shaped monolith Looking Glass Rock and famous NC Waterfalls such as Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock. Sliding Rock is a popular swimming hole and large slide that visitors have used for decades in the summer. The Pisgah Fish Hatcher and Wildlife Education Center is also located here.
Pink Beds Area
The Pisgah National Forest Pink Beds Area is found off US 276 just 2 miles south of the NC Blue Ridge Parkway. Here you can tour the Cradle of Forestry in America Discovery Center and enjoy hiking to the Pink Beds Valley. This high elevation area (about 3,200 feet) is relatively flat and home to hundreds of pink flowering rhododendrons for which it is named.
Blue Ridge Parkway Area
Here the Pisgah National Forest connects with the parkway at Pisgah Ridge and follows through to the Balsam Mountains. These are some of the highest elevations of the NC Blue Ridge Parkway and feature places such as Mt. Pisgah, Graveyard Fields, the Shining Rock Wilderness Area, and the infamous Devil’s Courthouse region.
The DuPont State Forest
The DuPont State Forest is a huge 10,000 acre tract of land in Henderson and Transylvania Counties in Western North Carolina. This area has over 100 miles of trails and roads that are used for a variety of recreational activities including hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking and many of the famous NC Waterfalls like Bridal Veil Falls, Grassy Creek Falls, High Falls, and Triple Falls are found inside its borders. Cedar Rock Overlook and Stone Mountain are notable features that many like to hike around and photograph.
Cradle of Forestry in America
The Cradle of Forestry is a sprawling 6,500 acre area located in the Pisgah National Forest North Carolina. Set aside by the United States Congress, the Cradle of Forestry is also known as “The Birth Place of Forestry in America” and is a wonderful National Historic Site that many visit. This educational wilderness area has several features like paved trails, an exciting exhibition hall, pioneer cabins, a 1915 logging locomotive, an antique saw mill, historic interpreters, the Pisgah National Forest Pink Beds Area, and even a fire fighting helicopter simulator. Visit the Cradle of Forestry in America and tour the Brevard NC Hiking Trails; learn more about the history of forestry and land conservation in the United States.
Allison-Deaver House
The Allison-Deaver House is the oldest frame house in Western North Carolina according to the NC Department of Archives. Located right beside the Forest Gate Shopping Centers in Brevard, the home is also a living interpretive museum that features exhibits of early farm tools in the home’s main house as well as the on site barn. Guided tours are given of the Allison-Deaver Home every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Located off NC Highway 280 in the Pisgah Forest; call 828.884.5137 for more information.
Brevard NC is a diverse outdoor paradise with neat historical and natural attractions. Cummings Cove is a Gated Golf Community nestled just minutes outside of Brevard NC and offers the finest in mountain living. Imagine living minutes from places like Sliding Rock and gorgeous NC Waterfalls that flow from the area’s crystal clear rivers and streams. Take a moment and browse NC Mountain Land for Sale and you will find gorgeous home sites with breathtaking views affordably priced in our North Carolina Golf Community.